Posted on 08/15/2009 7:20:40 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
US Senator Jim Webb has said jailed American John Yettaw is to be released by Burma's military leaders and will leave the country with him on Sunday.
The announcement came shortly after Mr Webb held talks with Burmese military ruler Than Shwe in Burma.
Mr Webb also met pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, days after she was given house arrest for 18 more months.
Mr Yettaw's uninvited visit to Ms Suu Kyi's home led to her trial. He was himself given seven years' hard labour.
Mr Webb's office said Mr Yettaw would be officially deported on Sunday morning and that the senator would bring him out of the country on a military aircraft that was returning to Bangkok.
Mr Webb had been expected to press for the release of Mr Yettaw.
The Democratic senator is the most senior US official to meet the Burmese leader, his office said.
"I am grateful to the Myanmar government for honouring these requests," Mr Webb said in a statement announcing Mr Yettaw's release.
"It is my hope that we can take advantage of these gestures as a way to begin laying a foundation of goodwill and confidence-building in the future."
The UN Security Council expressed "serious concern" following Ms Suu Kyi's conviction earlier this week, while the EU extended sanctions against Burma.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
It really is a shame we don’t have some federal agency to handle things like this. Oh wait!! If memory serves we used to have something called “The Department of State” that had responsibility for working with other countries. Maybe we could try that again.
< /S >
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.